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Wednesday, 13 June 2012

This is a project I started weeks ago only to, frustratingly, run out of plaster in order to finish it...don't you hate it when that kind of thing happens? You are on a roll and then BAM! you run out of the essential material you need.

So my plan for this years Maldon Arts Trail is to create a body of seaside themed work in a range of glass techniques. I have already made a copper foiled piece of 2 sailing boats and another copper foiled piece that includes seashell printed sections. To go with these I am making miniature glass sculptures using glass casting techniques and this is what I started and was then forced to stop.

Last week my order of plaster arrived and since then I've been waiting for a rain free day where I could get out into the garden and make my moulds. I prefer to do them in the garden as I can make as much mess as I like and not have to spend ages clearing it all away....especially with all this rain we are getting which has its advantages for washing mess away.

With the models laid out in the tubs I quickly mixed the plaster, and seriously depleted my stock of it in 1 foul swoop. I carefully poured the plaster into the tubs and then spent a while knocking and shaking them to remove as many air bubbles as possible. Then comes waiting for it to set which takes about 30mins before you can take it out of the tub. The fiddly bit it removing the model but this is what you are left with....a mould all ready to dry out, have glass put into it and then go into the kiln. I'll leave that til next week though so that the moulds are properly dried out.